Coasts of and Seas Around Gujarat

A hydrographic (nautical) chart is a valuable tool of analysis. The hydrographic chart is also a valuable tool to the mariner for safe navigation in the coastal waters. The rich variety of underwater details of the inner tidal and surf zones that the chart provides makes it a valuable research data base for underwater and near-shore studies. With the help of such hydrographic charts the near-shore underwater sea-floor profiles can be studied in depth. Such profiles reflect and throw light on the extent, nature and intensity of the shore processes at work, namely the ‘wave, tide and current environment’. While the evolution of sea-floor profiles in the near – shore waters is a product of the marine environment, the topographical profiles themselves become valuable indicators of the marine environment.